Bars, cantinas, and sports centers to re-open in Yucatán

As Yucatán begins to lift more COVID-19 restrictions, life seems to slowly be returning to normal.

This week saw the reopening of several of Mérida’s largest athletic centers, including the Estadio General Salvador Alvarado, the Centro Paralímpico and the Gimnasio Polifuncional. 

However, state authorities noted that people visiting these sports centers must wear facemasks at all times and maintain social distancing protocols. 

It was also announced that bars and cantinas are now able to reopen, but only at 50% capacity. This much-anticipated news came on the heels of months of protests by bar owners and staff who felt that they were being unfairly targeted by authorities. 

Also making their return are elderly people bagging for tips at select grocery stores, who have been out of work since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The tourism industry is also beginning to show signs of recovery. Today the coastal city of Progreso is expecting the return of the Carnival Breeze, a  cruise ship carrying 2,000 passengers. 

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While this number still falls short of the ship’s maximum capacity of over 4,000 passengers, it is still much higher than the ship’s first voyage to Yucatán since the outbreak of the pandemic, which carried only 300. 

Among other notable changes is the upcoming end of Yucatán’s vehicular mobility restrictions and the return of Serenades to Mérida’s Santa Lucia Square. 

Large-scale concerts and spectacles seem to still be off the table. As a result, the American rock band Guns N’ Roses was forced to cancel its upcoming concert scheduled for October but vowed to reschedule for 2022.

“The reopening of several of our state’s key industries has only been possible because of the successful implementation of the national vaccination strategy, but we must not let our guard down,” said Yucatán Gov. Mauricio Vila Dosal.

Yucatán coronavirus cases have totaled 67,759 since March 2020 and 5,793 deaths since April 2020, indicating an 87.5% recovery rate.